When parents first receive that dreadful diagnosis of autism for a beloved child, the first impulse is to get the best possible treatment for their child. When parents start looking into treatments, they find themselves in a vortex of websites, blogs and articles, all purporting to have the information they need. Some of these sites are worthwhile, many are not.
For parents considering a specific treatment for a child, I recommend that they review the information presented by the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT). Here is information from the ASAT website:
“ASAT is a not-for-profit organization of parents and professionals committed to improving the education, treatment, and care of people with autism. Since autism was first identified, there has been a long history of failed treatments and fads, levied on vulnerable individuals as well as on their families. From the scandal of the “refrigerator mother” theory, to the ongoing parade of “miracle cures” and “magical breakthroughs,” history has been dominated by improbable theories about causation and treatments.
Many of these treatments have been too quickly adopted by professionals, too readily sensationalized by the media, and too hastily embraced by hopeful consumers – well before supporting evidence or reasonable probability existed for their effectiveness or safety.”
Get the facts, not the fads
ASAT provides summaries of scientific research on interventions on autism, including the psychological, educational and therapeutic interventions, and the biomedical interventions. When in doubt, check it out. See the Association for Science in Autism Treatment at www.asatonline.org. You can send them an email at info@asatonline.org.
